To all of our chagrin it doesn’t seem to be motivating the citizenry one way or another." - U.S. Rep. Scott Perry

U.S. Rep. Scott Perry is walking around with two pennies in his pocket.

The Republican freshman congressman uses the coins to illustrate how he feels about the impending mandatory federal spending cuts.

“If anybody asks me, I pull out my two cents and say, ‘Do you think you are really getting every penny’s worth of your taxes that are spent by the federal government and do you think we really can’t take out two cents of a dollar the federal government spends and still operate it?’” Perry said.

U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, of the 4th congressional district, says his constituents may be burnt out about the federal sequestration. Perry, a Republican, is shown here in January on the day he was sworn into office.MARK PYNES, The Patriot-News

Such levity at the end of a week that has for months spelled doomed for the country seemed fitting given the unusually light volume of calls congressional delegates say the topic of mandatory federal spending cuts have generated Friday.

“To all of our chagrin it doesn’t seem to be motivating the citizenry one way or another,” said Perry, of the 4th congressional district. “Maybe they are burnt out with the whole sky is falling mantra coming out of Washington D.C. every two months.”

President Obama is expected tonight to authorize the across-the-board spending cuts that will slash billions of dollars from programs ranging from defense and medical research to small business loans, local police departments and local human services agencies.

By law, the federal government will have to cut $85 billion from its budget over the next seven months. That amount will reach a total of $1.2 trillion over the next decade.

For some congressional lawmakers, the sequester has yielded far less concern from constituents than the earlier Washington showdowns of the fiscal cliff and the debt ceiling.

“It’s not like at 12:01 a light switch is going to be hit and all of the sudden the world comes to a screeching halt,” said Kori Walter, spokesman for U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach, of the 6th congressional district.

Indeed, the funding shortfalls are expected to take anywhere from weeks to months to realize full impact on federal agencies and programs.

“We are also hearing from people who understand that the real problem is spending in Washington and who believe sensible cuts are necessary,” Walter said. “Those folks when they do call in are asking us to stand firm and asking us to find a sensible solution that doesn’t require a tax hike.”

U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent’s office - like that of Gerlach’s - said it had received a few hundred constituent contacts on the issue in recent weeks - but, again, nothing similar to the level generated by the fiscal cliff and debt debate.

“One group that stood out, numbers-wise, were people concerned about how it will impact air travel,” said Dent spokesman Shawn Millan. “There were also a good number who either supported the sequester cuts or who thought there should be greater reductions in spending.”

Perhaps the greatest concern among residents of the region is the potential impact the spending cuts will have on military interests.

Sarah Wolf, press secretary for U.S. Rep. Thomas A. Marino said the office had been fielding a steady number of calls from constituents concerned about the Tobyhanna Army Depot, a Monroe County installation that could see a $309 million reduction in funding.

At Thursday night’s official opening of U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta’s Harrisburg district office, sequestration was a main topic of conversation. Barletta’s 11th congressional district houses the Carlisle Barracks.

“I think people generally look at the federal government as something that has gotten out of control as far as spending,” said Barletta spokesman Tim Murtaugh. “If a federal behemoth can’t find two cents on the dollar to save then it’s really a lot further gone. These aren’t draconian cuts but the president has been running around talking like it’s going to be the end of civilization. Our sense is that that’s overstated.”

While Tobyhanna no longer falls under Barletta’s district, the depot is a major employer to many of his constituents.

“It’s a grave concern,” Murtaugh said. He added that it would be up to the president and his cabinet to determine what programs would see funding cuts.

“We are talking about two cents on the dollar,” he said. “If the president were truly serious about reining in spending, you’d think he’d be able to find two cents on the dollar to save.”

Elizabeth “E.R.” Anderson, spokeswoman for U.S. Sen Pat Toomey, said that as he traveled across the state this week, constituents had “implored him to work the ensure the cuts move forward.”

Even with the sequester, the federal government this year will spend $16 billion dollars more than it did last year.

Anderson said Toomey had heard from a lot of constituents concerned with cuts to

“They are worried because there is so much uncertainty,” she said. “But Senator Toomey’s point is that there doesn’t have to be that uncertainty. The important point is that we should not have to face this “doomsday scenario”. If these cuts are going to be so devastating and the president says, let’s do them in a less devastating way. Why can we get rid of the federally funded cowboy poetry festival or the 15 redundant federal programs on financial literacy vs cutting federal workers one day a week or shutting down air traffic towers.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), on Friday called on Congress to replace the indiscriminate cuts with a balanced approach.

“We need to cut spending but in a smart way. The indiscriminate nature of the sequester will be harmful to northeastern Pennsylvania,” said Casey, who spent the day in that region with residents and community leaders. “Congress needs to come together on an alternative to the sequester that will reduce our deficit, keep the economy moving forward and protect the vital needs of our region, including our defense industry, our police and our small businesses.”

Related Stories

Featured Story

Get 'Today's Front Page' in your inbox

This newsletter is sent every morning at 6 a.m. and includes the morning's top stories, a full list of obituaries, links to comics and puzzles and the most recent news, sports and entertainment headlines.

optionalCheck here if you do not want to receive additional email offers and information.See our privacy policy

Thank you for signing up for 'Today's Front Page'

To view and subscribe to any of our other newsletters, please click here.